Thanks Chocolate Sheep!


I've been waylaid by 'Ravelry', like thousands of other knitters, crocheters and spinners... More than a community, it's a way of crossreferencing patterns and yarns and keeping track of projects. I joined the Almanac KAL forum and offered up my spare Almanac - Chocolate Sheep took me up on it - and look what I received in return! (Yep - that's Cherry Tree Hill yarn). Which just goes to reinforce my opinion that knitters are just the nicest most generous group of people in the world. Isn't that a lovley picture of a chocolate sheep?

Reading the Wisconsin Wintersock booklet brought back memories of just how cold Wisconsin winters can get. (lived there from when I was 16 to when I was just about 18yrs). I can remember running home late one night, when it was 16 degrees below freezing and the windchill factor was even chillier, and pulling my jumper collar up over my nose. I knew it was that cold because the Bank of America had one of those signs that flashed up the temperature alternating with the time in neon bright digital figures. The condensation from my breath froze the neck of my jumper solid before I made it home. The men used to shave off beards and moustaches because they would freeze too. Ouch.

Where have I been? And Secret Pal 10 and ISE4 come to a close.

Dirk Star thinks I've been travelling. I wish! I won't be able to afford another trip abroad for another couple of years. Although I have been gallivanting in Brighton. More of that later.

No. I've had blogger's block: this being a similar disease to tennis elbow or athete's foot, only in the head. I developed an aversion to the computer (a very nasty complaint) - and there wasn't even lovely weather to blame - it's been one of the wettest Junes in England's history.

I have been busy. But all work and no play make Tutmut a dull person.

I've been training for a half marathon, bookcrossing, knitting (no! never!), painting, reading, walking the dogs, socialising (a bit) and catching babies.

It's lovely to come back to all those comments (I had 8 unmoderated comments to snicker over!) and realise folk out there in cyber world are actually thinking about little ol' me! Amazing!

Right: back to business. The Secret Pal 10 and ISE4 have come to a close. Let me show you what my most fabulous Secret Pal Terri Furry sent:

Here are Tilly and Syd investigating an intriguing looking box. Anything edible in there? I don't think so. I tear open the packaging (difficult, it's well wrapped) to be greeted by:

Oh my goodness. Loads of little presis. I pull them all out, scattering the strange little plastic macaroni shaped fillers all over the floor in my excitement.

There is a card from Terri, and a HUGE amount of rainbow wrapped parcels.

Which turned out to be this lot - although a couple of little packages tried to escape, which was a bonus, because, just when I thought it was all over, it wasn't!

In the picture: Beautiful ready dyed alpaca wool for spinning - Ever the optimistic one, Terri (no, not me, my secret pal) had read of my intention to attend a two day spinning workshop at my LYS and thought I'd be ready to spin this lot immediately. I need to practice practice practice before I embark on something so lovely. The red thing at the back, centrally, is a knitting bag. This has been in constant use, making walking the dogs and kntting socks at the same time a breeze. The yarn goes in the bag (which is made of rain resistant rip-stop) and a draw string stops it falling out. A small tab with a popper slips through my belt loop where the bag and yarn hangs feeding my sock yarn as I knit (or I can loop it round my wrist). How cool is that? And it's made by knowknits.com . ON top of the red knitanywhere pouch is a box of beautifully presented stitchmarkers. Bright red. These are currently in use on a new wip - Duck egg blue Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK cable cardigan (design free on Prima magazine's website). I'm knitting the jacket all in one, as far as poss - have knitted one sleeve - and am now knitting the back and two fronts altogether, so the red stitch markers mark the dividing line where the seams would have been IYSWIM. There is a generic glove pattern. It's ALWAYS good to have generic patterns to play with and adapt - and Terri sent me some trekking sock yarn to knit aforementioned gloves with. Now - an inspired addition - 4 bamboo sock needles! How did you know I was having trouble with the fiddly finger part of the gloves I'm knitting? The dark packages and the red tin are full of different fruit teas. When I'm not supping black decaff coffee (made twice as strong to try and convince myself there's caffeine in it) - I drink fruit teas. These come with bits of fruit still floating in the teapot - Yum. The magnetic pad with attached pencil is on the fridge door, with shopping list on. The candle is gently scented and there is a packet of thimble substitutes. Terri worries and cares about my hands.That, and the card, was my lot. Or so I thought. Then under the sofa, I discovered two more little packets: one, a green glass nail file which is the best nail file I've ever used. NO, I kid you not. And the other little package was full of curly little brightly coloured knitting needle holders.

Bonus goodies! Thanks so much for being fun and I'll write you in snail mail, Terri, to thank you properly. (When I stop procrastinating that is).

"So", says Syd, "was there really nothing edible in there for me?". "No, and you're a labrador and all you ever think about is food, so go away until suppertime and don't look at me with those great big soppy eyes."

I also got sent this scarf in the ISE4 swop, from Kimber She is a beginner at lace, so did really well to knit this scarf for me. She also included a Fiber Trends pattern for a shawl, with the most lusciously soft alpaca yarn to knit it with. Thanks Kimber! Ccompletely off topic: Kimber has a one eared dog. I kid you not.

Stash Enhancement!

I HAVE to boast about it on here, because there's no doubt I'll have to hide it from DH!. This is the lot in all its glory:

Isn't that just gorgeous! There should also be some Jitterbug in there - but its for my secretpal and its therefore a secret - shhhh!

Separately we have this, from Fyberspates. The last parcel in the sock club :-(

And very good value it has been. I added the eggs just because.

And this next is for the Karen's fairisle gloves knitalong that I've just joined - Just need the pattern now!

And finally we have this - a find from my lovely LYS. I've been debating and gnashing my teeth about what to knit the person who will get my scarf in the ISE4 - I've been swamped by the choice. Then I walked into Spin-a-Yarn and saw it: the lightest, softest, fan and feather scarf in this beautiful hand painted 2ply 100%merino yarn from New Zealand. (There isn't any white in it - that was just the camera). AND there should be enough for TWO scarves - ho ho. The person I'm knitting for likes wild colours...

International Sassy Sockyarn Swop

I've been very lucky with swop-bot - or maybe all knitters are just very generous lovely folk.

I say this because my sassy sock yarn arrived today - all the way from Minnesota and it's scrumdiddlyumptious. It's by Lisa Souza and it's the colour of autumn leaves - my favourite - How did you know, Guinifer?


AND look at the lovely presentation and the beautiful note book for recording all the socks I'm knitting. YAY!

The socks I knit with this will be mine, all mine, yes, oh yes. Thank you sooo much.

NOW I hope my parcel to the USA, to Gigi, arrives soon.

International Scarf Exchange 4

I've never done this before - my first knit-along (well, apart from the Knitting Olympics where I just missed the deadline) and I'm soooo excited (little things please little minds). I've also joined Secret Pal 10. Am I mad? (They're coming to take me away ha ha, ho ho, he he!). I nicked the Hagar cartoon from Kate who is also on the ISE4 and I hope she doesn't mind, it's just so cool.

There are still some places left, so get on over there all you knitters! (they're taking names until they reach 200 or till March 5th, whichever is soonest!)

DISHCLOTH SWOP
Lookee what I got today!
A package with a lavender theme - a facecloth (It's too good to be relegated to the dishes) a fancy mirrored lavender bag with the coolest stitchmarkers clipped on to its lacy collar. And look at the lovely presentation. The clue was:

"I used to be in Opal's Rainforest,
but now I am quite rare,
But you can find me dressed up in Woolworths
Because I'm always there!"

It took me a minute, but the penny finally dropped - Ladybirds! Knitting Ladybird AKA Linz... I'm dead impressed.

This was from the Dishcloth Swap on Swap-Bot. Thanks to Jacquie for organising it - t'was great fun.